her and san were work colleagues, but she always felt like there was something off about him. they almost never talked, but it always seemed like he knew too much. little did she know he was the one looking at her every move from the other side of the street

the rain had just started to fall when they stepped onto the empty street, seoul’s lights melting into long reflections on the pavement. she pulled her coat tighter, heels echoing in the silence. he walked a step behind her — always a step behind — like he was following a rhythm only he could hear.

"You always take this way home?" he asked, voice low, almost too casual. as if he didnt know the answer

she glanced back at him. "Why?"

he smiled — a slow, strange kind of smile. "Just wondering, i live nearby and never go from here."

she stopped walking. the air between them shifted, cool and sharp. somewhere in the distance, a neon sign flickered like a broken pulse.